Data is an important part of any policy research. In some countries national statistical institutes and government departments are investing efforts to develop and update statistical data for research purposes and there is plenty of information provided. In other countries, gathering of reliable and comprehensive data on national or local level is a "mission impossible". What is your experience?

Our work as policy researchers depends much on the development of a database gathering where the data produced could not only be understandable and useful, but could also advance the research efforts in addressing ongoing policy priorities, as well as emerging one.

Some of the common issues around data use in cultural policy research are:

• Difficulty to access easily databases by researchers, especially emerging one;
• Lack of comparative data: between sectors, between regions, between arts and culture categories, etc.;
• Lack of accurate and up-to-date data in the cultural sector;
• Prevailing data on government and public cultural organisations, and lack or absence of data on non-profit, independent sector, as well as businesses in the arts and culture;
• Difficulty to find data on cross-policy areas (culture and education, culture and labour, culture and business, etc.)
• High cost of data acquisition, especially for young researchers.

Below are selected websites to help you better understand and cope with statistical data for research purposes. Share your resources as well, by writing a “comment” to this thread.

A New View of Statistics: The site provides the explanations for many terms encountered in statistics.

Choosing a Statistical Test: The site provides some tips about how to choose the right statistical test.

HyperStat Online: This is "an online statistics book and online tutorial for help in statistics courses."

Internet Glossary of Statistical Terms: Provides definitions to a number of terms commonly found in statistics.

Psychological Statistics: Information about statistical concepts while keeping psychology in mind.

Research Randomizer: An online tool generates a customized set of random numbers for use in research projects.

StatSoft: This online textbook explains key concepts in statistics.

Statistical Consultant: help service: Consulting to doctoral students who are working on the Methods or Results chapter of their dissertation.

The CHANCE Database: The CHANCE database is full of useful information about the proper application of probability theory and statistics.

The Problem With Statistics: The article discusses how a person should look at who did the study, what was being measured, who was asked, and how were they asked when interpreting statistics.